Shock Horror!

The Waves were originally a band that guitarist Kimberley Rew and drummer Alex Cooper started in 1975 in Cambridge, England. The band made a few recordings, but nothing was released at the time. Four tracks recorded in 1976 were later added as bonus tracks to the 2010 reissue of Shock Horror! This early version of the Waves disbanded when Rew joined the Soft Boys in 1977. Cooper had joined Mama's Cookin' in 1979, a pop/soul cover band that featured singer Katrina Leskanich, guitarist Vince de la Cruz, and bassist Bob Jakins. After the break-up of the Soft Boys in 1981, Rew re-connected with Cooper, who convinced Rew to join Mama's Cookin', which was soon re-named the Waves.[6]

Rew brought original material to the band, which he sang himself during the band's first year. Leskanich only sang lead on the Waves' repertoire of covers, but gradually Rew began writing songs specifically for her to sing, and by the time of their first full-length album, 1983's Walking on Sunshine, Leskanich was the band's main vocalist. In 1981-1982, the Waves did a number of recording sessions, which resulted in the 1982 singles "The Nightmare" and "Brown Eyed Son", released by Armageddon and Albion Records, respectively. Along with its B-side, "Hey, War Pig!", "The Nightmare" was included later the same year on Rew's solo album The Bible of Bop.[6] "Brown Eyed Son" and most of the remainder of the sessions were released as Shock Horror! on the Aftermath label.[4] The sessions took place while the Waves lineup was in transition, and only two songs on Shock Horror! feature original bassist Bob Jakins, who left the band between the two single releases. Guitarist Vince de la Cruz subsequently took on bass duties.[2]

Released only in England, Shock Horror! contains the first recorded version of "Going Down to Liverpool", which was re-recorded for the first Katrina and the Waves album, Walking on Sunshine, and then re-recorded again for their Capitol Records debut in 1985, this time with Leskanich on lead vocals. "Brown Eyed Son" would also be re-recorded for Walking on Sunshine.[4]

Mark Deming, writing for AllMusic, wrote that Shock Horror! "captures the Waves as they were still knocking their sound into shape, but the strength of Rew's songwriting and guitar work was already clear, and drummer Alex Cooper obviously had enough power to drive a locomotive." Deming concluded that, "Shock Horror! sounds a long way from the work of a group that would become an international hitmaker, but the band obviously had talent and promise, and a stronger command of the studio would come with time."[2]

Trouser Press singled out the track "Strolling on Air," calling it "an especially rich find." They noted, "The other tunes (except for an MC5-ish raver, "Atomic Rock 'n' Roll") are typically engaging but not particularly well recorded. Interesting and certainly no embarrassment."[3]

[7]

Adapted from the 2010 reissue liner notes.[8]

The Waves

• Kimberley Rew – lead vocals (1-6), lead guitar
• Katrina Leskanich – lead vocals (7, 8), co-lead vocals (5, 6), rhythm guitar (1, 4-8), backing vocals (2, 3)
• Vince de la Cruz – bass (1, 4-8), rhythm guitar (2, 3)
• Alex Cooper – drums
• Bob Jakins – bass (2, 3)

Technical

• Richard Bishop – producer (1, 4-8)
• Pat Collier – producer (2, 3), engineer (2, 3)
• Nick Cook – engineer (1, 4-8)

Bonus tracks

• Kimberley Rew – guitar
• Alex Cooper – drums
• Rob Kelly – lead vocals, bass
• Gary Lucas – engineer
• Mike Kemp – engineer

Silo Studios, London, 1982

• Tracks: "Going Down to Liverpool", "I Caught the Milk Train (She Took the Deux Chevaux)", "Brown Eyed Son", "You Can't Stand Next to Judie", "Atomic Rock 'n' Roll", "Saturday Week"

("She Loves to Groove" was also recorded at the session and used as B-side to the "Brown Eyed Son" single. It was included as a bonus track on the 2010 reissue of Walking on Sunshine and also re-recorded for Katrina and the Waves 2 in 1984)

Alaska Studios, London, 1981

• Tracks: "Strolling on Air", "Riding My Bike"

("I'm Amazed" and "Give Me Some of that Love" were also recorded at the session and later included as bonus tracks on the 2010 reissue of The Bible of Bop)

Spaceward Studios, Cambridge, 1976

• Tracks: "Emerald", "The Ship", "My Friend Consuelo", "My Love's an Actress"

(All four bonus tracks are previously unreleased)